Miandad laments frozen ties with India

Pakistan's former captain and coach Javed Miandad was a sad man on his 53rd birthday as he lamented the frozen bilateral cricket ties with India.

Miandad celebrated his 53rd birthday yesterday hoping to see the resumption of cricket ties with India which snapped after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

"I feel sad today that Pakistan cricket is facing a situation where teams don't want to come to our country because of security issues. Worse bilateral cricket ties with India are again frozen," Miandad said in an interview.

Miandad hoped that whenever international cricket resumed in Pakistan, India would be the first to tour the country.

"We need to play more often against each other it keeps the sport alive in both countries and boosts world cricket."

Miandad said apart from winning the 1992 World Cup, his most memorable career moments pertained to matches involving India.

He recalled the 1976/77 and 2004 series against India in Pakistan as his most memorable. "In both cases India toured Pakistan after a gap of many years and the huge interest in the series was out of this world."

The veteran of 124 Tests, who had three separate terms as national team coach, also hoped that the problems being faced by Pakistan cricket would be resolved soon.

"There is so much passion for the sport in Pakistan that at times it is tragic that we are facing a situation where we can't play international cricket on our own grounds. But the cricket world is supporting us and hopefully things will normalise soon," he said.

"Cricket in the subcontinent has a great cricket heritage and I find it hard to believe that right now they are also no bilateral cricket ties between Pakistan and India," he said.

Miandad is presently working as director general of cricket in the Pakistan Cricket Board.